“He might be a challenge,” George said. His lips barely moved. If I wasn’t standing next to him, I wouldn’t know he had spoken. “One on one, I can take care of it.”
The swordsman spun, faster and faster, lithe, flexible, strong. A faint orange luminescence coated his blades. They begun to glow.
George’s eyes narrowed.
The swordsman stopped, swords raised at his sides like wings of a bird about to take flight.
The otrokars parted, revealing a female otrokar holding what looked like a machine gun. Oh no you don’t.
She put the gun to her shoulder and fired.
I jerked my magic. Transparent walls shot out of the floor, shielding the vampires and us.
The stream of bullets hit the swordsman. He swung his blades, too fast to see, so fast they turned into arches of orange light. Breath caught in my throat.
The gun clicked empty. A staccato of light knocks echoed through the grand ballroom – the last of the bullets clattering to the floor. The swordsman stopped moving. Sweat sheathed his torso. No wounds marked his body. The bullets, each sliced in half, lay in a horseshoe around him.
The otrokars bellowed in approval. The Khanum smiled broadly, winked at the vampires, and led her people to the right side of the grand ballroom, forming an identical line.
I exhaled and let the floor swallow the bullets and the mutilated fruit.
“We’re going to need help,” Jack said, his face grim.
George didn’t answer. “The merchants, please.”
I opened the front doors. The Nuan Cee clan had to come from the front, because their quarters opened in the back wall, so I had made a hallway just for that purpose. The doors swung open, revealing Cookie. He was wearing a bright turquoise apron and carrying a basket. A fast intricate melody filled the room. Cookie skipped forward in tune with the music, like a human child on the last day of school, dipped his hand into the basket and tossed a handful of gold and jewels into the air. Behind him four foxes in blue diaphanous veils embroidered with gold danced forward, gold bracelets and loops tinkling on their wrists and ears. Behind them came the older members of the clan, swaying in step to the music: three steps forward, one step back, turn. One carried a glittering cage with a beautiful blue bird in it. The second brandished a jeweled sword as big as himself. The third spun around, revealing spiderweb thin layers of glowing fabric.
Cookie threw gold, hopping back and forth between the lines of otrokar and vampires. One of the otrokars reached for a bright red jewel the size of a walnut by his foot. The older warrior next to him growled and the younger man stopped.
“To take their gold is to become their slave,” Arland said softly.
The foxes kept coming, each display of wealth more ostentatious than the last. The palanquin with Nuan’s Cee grandmother followed, floating in midair all by itself, and finally Nuan Cee himself, sitting cross-legged on a palanquin of the shimmering silk dotted with piles of gems and plush pillows, showing sharp, even teeth in a bright smile.
The procession ended and the merchants formed the third line, closing the square. The music died.
George’s voice rang in the sudden quiet. “Welcome! The summit is now in session.”
He stepped aside, inviting the gathering to the table with an elegant sweep of his hand.”
The leaders of the three factions moved to the long table. George and Jack followed. Everyone took their seats. I raised a transparent soundproof wall, sealing the table and its occupants from the rest of the guests. They were still plainly visible, but not a single sound escaped.
The otrokars, vampires, and the merchants looked at me expectantly.
I raised my hand. The floor opened and Orro and three large tables, already set, rose into the room from below. Each table offered beautifully cut fruit on large white plates, baskets of bread, rice, sliced meat, bowls of soup, and as a centerpiece, a delicate translucent flower the size of a watermelon, made of tiny individual slices of some meat.
The soup smelled heavenly.
“Evening’s refreshments!” Orro called out. “Morean water drake sashimi with fruit and grains!”
Chapter 6
The first session of the peace summit took three hours. The leaders of the three factions sat stone-faced behind the transparent wall the inn and I had made, while their subordinates formed three distinct groups in the ballroom. The merchants chattered with each other, while the otrokari and the vampires proceeded to flex their muscles, lounge about, and give each other the stink eye. There was no point in having them in the ballroom, but as long as their leaders were in each other’s company, nobody would leave on the chance a fight might break out. I would have to figure out some entertainment for them if the summit went on for more than a few days.
I had to split my attention between the ballroom and the stables. The repair of the police cruiser was proceeding well, but keeping an eye on both areas at once tired me out. I would have to practice more. My father could track five or six areas of the inn at once. It was a learned skill that got better with practice and I had been slacking off these past few months.
Finally the Khanum slammed her fist on the table – which looked surprisingly comical without any sound coming through – and George waved the wall down.
I unsealed the side doors that led to the sleeping quarters. The otrokari exited first and the door melted into the wall behind them as if it had never been there. The merchants were next. Nuan Cee paused by me.
I nodded at him. “How did the negotiations go, great Nuan Cee?”
“It is too early to tell.” He pointed to Cookie, who began picking up the gold off the floor, carefully depositing it into a large satchel and smiled. “My thrice removed cousin’s seventh son is working so hard. Such diligence. The blood always shows true in our family.”
“I can have the inn gather the gold and jewels for him,” I offered.
Nuan Cee waved his paw-hands. “Menial labor is good for the soul. I have done it for my family when I was his age, his father has done it, and his mother has done it for her family… It is a fine lesson to learn. When one starts at the bottom, there is no place to go but up. He is responsible for the riches; let him gather them.”
“It will take him awhile,” I said. “I may have to lock him in the ballroom until he is done for his own safety.” Having a tiny fox running around the inn carrying millions in jewels and gold in a canvas sack wasn’t a good idea.
“I take no insult.” Nuan Cee waved his hand again. “Keep him under lock as long as you wish.”
The merchants filed out. The vampires followed, all except Arland and Robart, who both made a beeline for me. Almost instantly both of them realized they were going to the same place. Arland glowered at Robart and sped up. The Marshall of House Vorga glowered back, matched Arland’s pace and went faster. Arland accelerated to keep up. The sight of them rapidly marching in full armor was like standing on train tracks and watching a locomotive barrel at me at full speed.
I wondered if they would sprint if the distance was great enough.
I brushed the floor with the bristles of my broom. I had turned it into a staff at the beginning of the ceremonies, but an hour into the session, I let it flow back into the broom shape. The last couple of days and the lack of sleep took their toll, and the broom felt comfortable and familiar. The floor stretched slightly, then more and more, rising at a slight incline and flowing toward the vampires like one of those moving sidewalks that transports people at airports. Except my sidewalk was moving in the opposite direction.
Neither vampire noticed that they were now going uphill and sliding backward with each step. They were still neck and neck and not getting any closer.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
At the wall Jack chuckled into his fist.
I put a little more speed into the floor. They had to notice now.
The marshalls redoubled their efforts. They were almost running now. If I didn’t stop this now, they mig
ht crash into each other and I would have blood on my hands.
“My lords! I’m not a castle. You don’t have to storm me.”
Both vampires stopped in their tracks. The floor stopped as well. Normal people would have lost their balance, stumbled, and possibly landed on their faces. The two vampires leapt up simultaneously, like two great jungle cats, and landed on their respective sides of what was once a moving sidewalk. The floor thudded, accepting the full weight of their armor.
Jack dissolved into a coughing fit.
Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t laugh…
The two vampires strode toward me and said in one voice, “Lady Dina…”
Oh no.
The marshalls clamped their mouths shut and tried to kill each other with their stares.
I squeezed my left hand into a fist. If I guffawed in their faces, I could kiss any further business from the Holy Anocracy good-bye.
“Lord Robart, how may I help you?”
Robart shot a triumphant look at Arland. “I’ve paid the Arbiter’s price for the car.”
“Yes, you have. Thank you, the giant water serpent was delicious.”
Robart blinked, momentarily thrown off track, but recovered. “I will have my knight returned to me.”
Knight? What knight? Oh shoot. I had completely forgotten about the vampire who’d almost chopped the police car in a half. I’d left him in the basement holding cell for almost four hours. I concentrated. The knight was alive and well. He was sitting on the floor meditating. I gave the floor a little push and felt it slide up, carrying the knight with it.
“You will find your knight in your quarters.”
Robart nodded. His gaze narrowed. “Perhaps if you were less heavy-handed in your treatment of the guests you claim to honor and protect, your inn would have a higher rating.”
He did not. Oh yes, yes he did. “Perhaps if you trained the knights under your command to follow simple orders, your House would’ve reached greater prominence within your empire.”
Robart locked his jaw.
If my smile were any sweeter, you could pour it on pancakes and call it syrup. “Good night, Marshall. Lord Arland, how may I assist you?”
Robart turned and stalked off to the vampire entrance.
Arland nodded at me, his face grave. “I’ve come to check on the progress of the car.”
“Of course. Give me a moment to set things in order.”
“Take all the time you require,” Arland said.
I watched Robart exit and dissolved the door behind him. Caldenia rose in her box, waved at me, and retired, Beast following her. I’d have to pick her brain tomorrow for any insights. Only Arland, Cookie, Jack and I remained. I turned to Jack. “Did you need anything?”
He shook his head. “Just making sure everyone goes to bed like good boys and girls. See you in the morning.”
Jack went out the front entrance.
I exhaled quietly and walked over to Cookie, who was crawling around on his hands and knees. “Hey there. I have to leave for a couple of minutes but I will be back soon. I’m going to lock the doors, so you will be safe in here. But if something goes wrong, call me and I will be right over.”
Cookie nodded and dropped a sapphire the size of a gummy bear into his bag.
I led Arland back to the stables, sealing the ballroom with Cookie in it as we left. Beast caught up with me and hopped into my arms, gazing at me in canine adoration. That was the wonderful thing about dogs. If you are gone for a day or for an hour, they are just as ecstatic when you come back.
The engineer knight and Nuan Cee’s niece were quietly chatting. Officer Marais still lay on the tarp on the floor where we left him. His chest rose up and down in a measured rhythm. A small smile spread his lips. He must’ve been dreaming about something fun. For a moment I envied him the sleep. I was so tired.
The cruiser sat in the middle of the stables. It looked intact.
Hardwir opened the hood and showed me the engine. “Behold.”
I beheld. It looked just like a normal, a somewhat grimy, engine.
“No modifications?” Arland asked.
“None,” Hardwir said.
Arland peered at him. “Are you sure? I know you. You didn’t improve on it at all? In any way?”
“No improvements.” Hardwir spat to the side. “Just as ugly and poisonous as it came to me.”
I checked the hood, the inside, and the trunk. Everything seemed to be in order. The car looked exactly as it had before it was hit with a blood axe.
I turned to Arland. “Would you mind helping me? I have to leave the inn grounds and position Officer Marais in the car and he is heavy.”
Arland nodded at me, his face grave. “It would be my honor.”
Something was wrong. He normally wasn’t this somber. “I may need you to change clothes.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Of course.”
I stepped out and returned with a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and size 14 athletic shoes. Arland arched his thick eyebrows. He had worn this outfit during his last visit when he pretended to be human. He took the clothes and went to change behind the cruiser.
I turned to Hardwir and Nuan Cee’s niece. “Please don’t leave the stables.”
“You have my word,” Hardwir said. “We will stay put. I was never a good swimmer. Besides, I will watch over the Marshall’s armor.”
“I will stay as well,” Nuan Cee’s niece said. “I’m weak and helpless and I don’t want to be punished.”
Weak and helpless, sure. Next thing she would try to sell me a lovely coastal villa in Kansas.
Arland emerged, camouflaged as a very large human. The camouflage wasn’t exactly working. Dressing Arland in Earth clothes was like putting bunny ears on a tiger. The ears were cute, but the tiger was still scary. The T-shirt stretched on his shoulders, too small for his arms. He was built like a bear: broad shoulders, carved arms, a wide chest, and flat hard stomach. It was the kind of frame that could effortlessly support the weight of vampire armor and let him swing a heavy weapon for hours without slowing down. If an NFL linebacker ran full speed at Arland, he would just bounce off.
The marshall picked up Officer Marais as if the fully grown man was a child, put him in the back seat, and slid into the passenger seat. I got in on the driver’s side and held my hand out. The wall spat the dashboard camera at me. I put it in my lap, started the engine, put the car in reverse, and drove backward slowly. The walls slipped out of the way. A moment and we slid into my driveway, the rear of the car facing the street. I killed the engine and sat quietly, listening. It was ten past midnight and the subdivision lay silent. This plan hinged on having no witnesses.
The night lay silent. I eased the cruiser into neutral and let the slight incline of the driveway do the rest. Whisper-quiet, the cruiser rolled out of the driveway, across the street, and down Camelot Road. I gently steered it back to the spot where Marais had parked before the whole affair had started. I opened the dashboard camera, extracted the SD card, rolled down the window and pulled with my magic. I only had a fraction of my power outside the inn’s boundaries, but a fraction would be enough.
A small camera floated into my hand, a mirrored sphere about the size of a ping-pong ball. I squeezed the sphere. A thin metal tendril snaked out and flowed over the SD card. The sphere pulsed once and the tendril slithered back into it. I slipped the card back into its place and returned the camera back to its mount.
The neighborhood was still empty. Great. I stepped out of the car and nodded to Arland. He opened his door, picked up Officer Marais, and sat him in the driver seat. I locked his seat belt in place, reached through the open window, careful to stay away from any mirrors, and pushed record on the camera. We quietly moved to the side and went deeper into the subdivision.
“What are we doing?” Arland murmured, looming next to me.
“We’re going to make a big circle and come into the inn through the back, so the camera doesn’t see us.”
“Won’t there be a break in recording?”
I shook my head. “My camera recorded over four hours of video and then looped it into seven hours of footage, using a random algorithm complete with a false time stamp. It overwrote your arrival completely. Right now the real dashboard camera is recording over that video. By the time he wakes up, the tail end of the looped footage will be overwritten with the real video as well. When Officer Marais watches it, he will see hours and hours of the inn sitting there with no activity.”
“Clever,” Arland said.
Yes, clever and very expensive. The remote camera cost me a lot of money and a favor that had been difficult to repay.
We turned right on Bedivere Road.
“Dina,” Arland said. His voice had a slightly rough quality to it. Not Lady Dina, but Dina. He was up to something. That wasn’t good.
“Yes?”
“I’m but a humble soldier.”
Here we go. He had given me a version of this speech before. This definitely wasn’t good.
“You and I, we have a history.”
Okay, what could he possibly be upset about?
“We were comrades at arms, fighting at each other’s side for the common goal. We have broken bread together.”
Was this about the food? Was he upset that we didn’t serve red meat at dinner? But we told them not to expect a big meal the first day, because separate meals would be served at their quarters. We would not set up the big dinner until tomorrow.
“That kind of connection, it stays with you.”
Was he offended because I let the otrokari fire a weapon? Was it because the otrokari were scheduled to be the first to arrive to the inn and the vampires were last? But we had compensated the Holy Anocracy by inviting them to be the first to officially enter the ballroom.
“Dina…”
He dipped his head and looked into my eyes. A small shiver ran down my spine. Arland had focused completely on me. His face was handsome, but his eyes were breathtaking. Deep intense blue, they usually communicated power or aggression, but right now they were warm, softened by emotion until they seemed almost velvet. He reached over and took my hand into his, the calluses on his strong fingers scraping against my skin.